1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automated construction equipment, and more particularly to a Brick Laying System.
2. Description of Related Art
The work of a mason typically involves manual labor to move and place bricks, and to apply mortar to the bricks. Brick structures are desirable for a variety of reasons, including their structural integrity, low maintenance costs, and longevity. Unfortunately the labor costs to construct a brick building are significantly higher than that of other building materials such as wood. Mason work is also prone to worker related injuries due to accidents, muscle and skeletal fatigue, and the like. Mason work is slow and physically demanding, and also requires a skilled workforce. As the skill of a mason goes up, so does the labor cost of that individual. Many projects require a mason of a certain skill level due to the overall complexity of the project or the need for technical or aesthetic excellence. Mason work, and specifically brick laying, has seen little in the way of automation, and is still a labor intensive, slow process.
The Brick Laying System of the present invention does not attempt to replace a brick mason, but rather amplifies the impact of the mason while taking over the most repetitious of tasks. A brick mason works next to a robot positioned on a platform. While the robot is applying precise amounts of mortar to each brick and placing it with better-than-human accuracy, the brick mason can concentrate on the art of pointing, perform other finishing work, and secure tie-backs for subsequent brick courses as construction progresses. It is estimated that a typical crew of 12 could be replaced with a crew of 5, resulting in cost reductions of greater than 60% and making masonry construction an economically viable alternative on a greater number of buildings, quite possibly leading to an increase in skilled employment in the trade. By facilitating more widespread use of brick construction, long-term energy and environmental benefits will be enjoyed for decades into the future, and when the building eventually must be replaced or updated, it will have a far smaller environmental impact than many alternative construction technologies since bricks can be reclaimed and in many cases reused.
Another major benefit of the present invention is the potential energy savings that could be attained by more rapid completion of masonry work on buildings. In the Northeast, it is not uncommon for temporary heating costs during winter months to average $25.000-$30,000 per month per site—most of which is spent for propane. Expediting the labor intensive act of brick or block laying can pay an immediate dividend through reduced energy consumption during the build. We believe that even with a labor reduction of one third, we can achieve an overall project time reduction of one half. For example, instead of a 25,000 brick job taking roughly 20 days, our process would complete it in less than 10. This savings in propane alone would add up to about 8.000 lbs of propane, greater than 101.000 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions, and an energy cost savings of roughly $8,000.
Yet another energy and environmental benefit of this process would be its ability to enable greater use of brick by reducing the high cost and increasing both the capacity for laying brick and speed at which brick work can be laid. Brick provides many environmental benefits as a wall cladding material. Brick is estimated to save roughly 8% in energy costs as compared to other conventional materials. It also has a greater than 50% lower embodied energy than other conventional building materials such as Vinyl and Aluminum, as demonstrated by the BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability, NIST modeling software) analysis. Brick also has a significantly longer life than most competitor products and is 100% recyclable. Another added benefit to using brick is the increased thermal mass, which is very useful in passive solar applications to reduce peak energy loads, help achieve overall load leveling and facilitate the specification of downsized HVAC equipment.
Fielding a completely autonomous robot in the uncertain environment of a construction site is a prescription for disaster. Human perception and judgment are essential for success, and the present invention marries the best of human machine operation with industrial automation. The ultimate goal and best way to ensure success is to apply automation as a force multiplier for people, rather than as their replacement.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a robotically assisted brick laying system. It is another object of the present invention to provide a robotically assisted brick laying system that allows a mason or skilled worker to work alongside the Brick Laying System. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a robotic arm assembly for assisting with the task of bricklaying. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for laying bricks that comprises operating a robotic arm assembly that assists with the task of bricklaying.